The Local Legacy of Paul Anderson
It was 1955, during the height of the cold war, and since the threat of complete nuclear annihilation dissuaded direct warfare, the United States and the Soviet Union had to take their conflict to other front lines. The rivalry shifted to events such as the space race and the International Weightlifting Champions. This championship took place in Munich, West Germany, a close meeting point near the Iron Curtain. The Soviets put forth their best men to showcase what glory the Union could produce. Their champion, Alexey Medvedev, was able to achieve a world record of a 330.5 lb. press in the Olympics not long before the championship. As it stood, his record would not be broken any time soon. In the two-handed press, the Soviets were winning golds in four of the seven categories, and had plans to completely dominate the event, but then came along 5’10”, 340 lb., Toccoa-born Paul Anderson. The Russian announcer could only say: “we rarely have such weights lifted,” as the man hoisted a 402.5 lb. bar over his head, setting two world records, and cementing himself as the strongest man in recorded history. The Soviets may have brought back more gold medals, but they also brought back the bitter knowledge that they did not have the strongest man.
Not far from TFC, off Big A Road, you may have noticed a bronze figure power-lifting in a gated park. That is Paul Anderson Memorial Park. On October 17, 1932, he was born right here in Toccoa, GA. He suffered from a kidney disease as a kid but that did not stop him from attempting to pack on muscle in attempts to join the Toccoa Falls High School football team, before committing to be a professional weightlifter. After his display of strength at the International Weightlifting Championship, he went on to have a successful career and a lovely home life with his wife. Possibly his best record, was his 6,270 lb. back lift. Along with Paul's other many accomplishments, he was also a devout Christian.
It is inspiring to hear about a legend who was born in such a seemingly small town. Even if the place you live seems ordinary and insignificant, you never know what kind of interesting things you could learn about your town. Maybe your home town was a site of a battle or the birthplace of a celebrity. Everything has a story. Go out and learn your local history, or attempt to go out and make it. Next time you are in town, take the opportunity to visit Paul Anderson Memorial Park.